News

Training for work

A project between Runshaw Business Centre and the Jobcentre Plus has seen 13 new members of staff appointed in the operations department at Parcelforce.

The project, aimed to help unemployed people in the Chorley area who have been out of work for 12 months or more, proved a great success after all the candidates secured full-time permanent employment.

The programme ran over a two-week period and involved a selection of qualifications such as health and safety, manual handling and first aid. On completion of the course, all candidates were offered the opportunity to be interviewed for five vacancies. However, all the candidates impressed the company and managed to secure roles at the Chorley-based distribution centre in Buckshaw Village.

Amanda Jakeman-McCracken, employer and partnership manager at the Jobcentre Plus, said: “We are delighted that this collaborative project with Runshaw Business Centre resulted in a 100 per cent success rate and we are keen to identify similar opportunities with other businesses in the area.Runshaw Business Centre delivered training of an exceptional standard whilst ensuring that the course content was focused around great teamwork, one of Parcelforce’s key objectives.

“During the process, candidates also commented on the encouraging nature of staff and the supportive learning environment they experienced whilst working alongside other candidates.”